I've been researching marking technologies and the one that I like the most is usually called either impact, indent, pin, or peen marking. I've seen machines that claim as small as .015" character size -
YAG lasers are the perfect solution, but they're far too expensive for me to even consider. It's like pulling teeth to get information out of most of the marker manufacturers, but Kwikmark advertises their units for $5,500 with no frills -
I've probably sent emails to 10 or 15 different companies requesting information on their products, and so far I've only gotten 2 brochures in the mail, which contain LESS information than the websites, and don't even include pricing information.
So, now that you know what I've done so far, I'll tell you what exactly it is I'm trying to do:
Norsam Technologies makes something they call a Rosetta Disk, which is used to store information for thousands of years -
Instead, I'd rather use a 4 inch long, 1 inch diameter polished nickel rod and wrap the information around it in a spiral. I'm going to include a small logo as well. The information on each unit will be unique, except for the logo. I know pin marking doesn't produce beautiful marks when examined closely, but the finished product should be nice-looking when taken as a whole. I think the quality of the marker will determine how consistent the dot placement is (straight lines versus crooked or wavy lines).
I'm only going to need around 5 units at first, so I'd rather hire a marking shop to do it for me until my needs increase. On the other hand, if you want something done right, you do it yourself....I'm keeping an open mind.
So basically, I'm sold on the pin marking technique because of it's low cost and decent results. What I'd like to know is, what's the best marker out there? Technifor seems to be the 800 pound gorilla, though there's lots of smaller companies out there too. I may decide to do the logo with some kind of etching technology...does anyone know of any other ways to get lots of physically durable text into a very small space? Remember the information changes a lot, so investing in etching masks may not be the best way to go. How well does etching work with nickel? Any other suggestions are welcome.